Two Santa Maria Valley high school students were killed early Monday in a collision on Highway 101 in Ventura County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Two other people were seriously injured in the crash, which occurred at about 1:25 a.m. on northbound Highway 101 near the State Beaches exit north of Ventura, said Officer Dave Webb.
The 2013 Honda Accord was in the left lane when, for unknown reasons, it veered onto the right shoulder and slammed into the back of a parked big-rig, Webb said.
The male driver and a female passenger in the front seat, both 15, died at the scene, Webb said.
Two other male passengers in the rear seat — ages 17 and 22 — suffered major injuries and were taken to Ventura County Medical Center, Webb said.
The names of the victims and details on their conditions were not released pending notification of relatives.
The truck driver apparently was not injured.
“We don’t believe alcohol was involved,” Webb said.
There were reports the group may have been returning from Disneyland, and that the driver fell asleep, but that could not be confirmed.
A statement from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District indicated that the two teens killed were students at Pioneer Valley High School, but were not enrolled in summer session.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of these young people,’’ said district Superintendent Mark Richardson.
Counseling services were being made available to students and staff, according to a district spokesman.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.